Brightest Star
by Entity Sylvir
Summary: The room was dark, the only light the glimmers that peaked through the glass balcony door from a few faint stars and a thin crescent moon. Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked. Once. Twice. "Elphaba?"
1. Into the Night

_This is a threeshot for my friend Xylot3. She's a much bigger fan then me, I've just watched the musical once._

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The room was dark, the only light the glimmers that peaked through the glass balcony door from a few faint stars and a thin crescent moon. The Good Witch of the North lay on her four-poster, her blonde hair spread out on the soft pillows. Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked. Once. Twice.

_"Elphaba?"_

Glinda rubbed her eyes and sat up, staring up at the green girl who stood before her, her black cloak billowing around her in the soft night breeze.

_"Elphaba, what are you-"_

_"Shh." _Elphaba sat down on the edge of the mattress and pressed a finger against her friend's lips to silence her.

Neither of them moved a muscle.

Then, Elphaba let the finger that lay against the blonde girl's lips wander, tracing over her cheek, caressing the side of her face, while her other hand reached out, wrapping around her torso. Glinda let out an almost inaudible sigh, then threw her arms around Elphaba's neck, pulling her in and hugging her tight.

_"Glinda."_ Just one word, but a word that conveyed more love than a thousand affirmations. Elphaba ran her hand through the thick hair, then slowly, turned her head and pressed her lips against the smooth cheek. And again. And again, peppering the side of the blonde's face with kisses. _"Glinda." _Glinda felt her breath hitch in the throat as Elphaba twisted her neck, letting their lips meet.

Neither girl knew how long they stayed like that for, their bodies pressed together, their mouths moving together, and their tongues entwined in a dance that is only known to the most profound of connections. Their hands pushing past the obstructing cloth as the lovers sought bare skin, wanting to know, to feel, to be together in the deepest of ways.

Then it stopped.

Elphaba pulled away suddenly from the warmth of the blonde's body, standing up and moving away

_"No,"_ Glinda grabbed her hand and interlaced her fingers with the slender green ones. _"Stay. Please"_

Elphaba gave a shuddering sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as she removed her hand. _"I can't."_ She reached over, rearranging Glinda's nightgown and pushed her back onto her pillow, then pulled the blanket up around her, tucking her in once more. "_I'm sorry." _She turned and walked away.

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Glinda woke with a gasp, her eyes springing open, only to close again as a sob wracked her body. She pressed her face into the pillow, her body shaking as she ruined it with her tears. The dream had been plaguing her for weeks, and it was the same every time. She would come, then she would go.

Glinda bit her lip, trying to pull herself together. She had an address to make in the morning and it would do no good for the Ozians to see her red eyed from crying all night instead of sleeping. She took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore the aching loneliness that the dream always left behind.

Four months had passed since Glinda had realised just how much Elphaba meant to her. Four months she had spent wishing with all her heart that it hadn't taken Elphaba's death to make her realise.

But it was too late now. Glinda wiped her eyes, then turned the pillow over and settled her cheek on the dry side. Elphaba was gone. And no amount of wishing was going to bring her back. She closed her eyes, not noticing that the balcony door that she had closed the night before, was now half open.

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Outside, tears ran freely down green cheeks as Elphaba bit the sleeve of her cloak to muffle her sobs. One more night, one more illusion of what could never be. She gripped the railing hard, and bit the inside of her cheek, breathing deeply as she tried to stop herself from crying. She was gone, she didn't exist, and that was how it was.

She mounted her broom, and flew off into the night.

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_TBC… It's not all tears._


	2. Darkest Hour

The rain drizzled down softly over the green pastures that seemed to stretch endlessly from the rustic farmhouse. It had taken much moving around, much hiding in dark corners before they found this place. It was a good choice for, safe and easily permanent, down in the south, away from anyone who might, well away from anyone. And even if someone happened to pass by, all they would see would be an old abandoned farmhouse with a drooping scarecrow in the field. Elphaba shook back her hair and tilted her head back, enjoying the feeling of the cool, harmless droplets on her face. She stood there for several minutes before she felt the shower cease. She opened her eyes to see the clouds receding, and it wasn't long before the sun peaked through, shining brightly over the countryside. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards at the golden orb, before dropping back down as she let out a reminiscent sigh. Rain, turning to sunshine so quickly. So much like the first time she realised she had feelings for Fiyero. She turned her gaze downward onto the grass covered ground. But it wasn't Fiyero that she thought of now. It was the one he had been with,the one that had made him so unattainable.

Glinda.

It always came back to Glinda. The beautiful young woman who had changed so much from the stuck up shallow girl Elphaba had first met. The first person who had offered Elphaba friendship (albeit after a rough start) in all the years of her freakish green life. The friend that now meant so much more.

Turning her head, Elphaba could just make out the straw figure standing in the field in front of the farmhouse. She brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before beginning to make her way back. It wasn't that she didn't love Fiyero any more, Glinda was just...different somehow. She cared for Fiyero very much, but her feelings for Glinda were more firmly rooted, somehow. More encompassing. More, she couldn't quite explain.

Elphaba was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't stop walking until she realised that there was straw stickling her nose.

"Woah, careful there."

She looked up.

"Oh, sorry. I uh, wasn't paying attention. Thinking."

Fiyero smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "What about?"

"About the things I left behind."

"About Glinda you mean."

The corners of Elphaba's mouth lifted slightly.

"She crossed my mind, yes."

Fiyero sighed and took her arm, leading her toward the farmhouse. It had been going on for weeks, he knew. He could always read Elphaba. It was time to talk.

"I've been thinking too."

"What about?"

"Boq."

"...Boq?"

Fiyero chuckled lightly, before stopping suddenly and pulling his face into a serious expression. "You don't have to hide from me, Elphaba. I understand."

"What?" He couldn't know, could he?

Fiyero stopped walking, turning to face her. "I don't sleep, remember. I should have known there was no way to keep you away from her."

Elphaba frowned. "If you mean me going out at night," she began, choosing her words carefully. "what's that got to do with anything? I enjoy the night air."

"Enough to risk flying?" Fiyero said, shooting a glance up at the sky. "I know you Elphaba. I know how you smile, how your voice lifts every time you talk about Glinda. And I know how sad you look afterwards. I want you to happy Elphaba."

Elphaba frowned. Was he suggesting... "But what about you?"

"Like I said." He took one of Elphaba's hands and pressed it against his straw filled torso. "Tinmen aren't the only things without hearts."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "You mean you don't-"

"Contrary to common belief, the heart is not the source of love. Just the channel." He let Elphaba's hand fall, but continued to hold it in his. "I love you Elphaba. I always will, I just don't feel it the same way I used to. Now, I just want to to be happy."

Elphaba hesitated, looking up at the man she loved. "It's not that I don't love you, it's just, I'm now just-"

Fiyero put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't try to compare me with Glinda. You love every person differently, and I always treasure what you gave me."

A tear ran down Elphaba's face. She shook her head. "Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't. She thinks they're dreams, Fiyero. She has no idea I'm alive. And even if she did," she broke off, squeezing her eyes shut and taking a deep breath, "I don't want to think what could happen."

"What could happen? Elphaba you know she'd never betray you. Even as friend."

"I'm a traitor, Fiyero, a villain. What happens if someone finds out she's sheltering me? What if she accidentally lets something slip? She's a public figure, what would happen to her people if they she found out she was a criminal? It's better that thinks I'm a dream." She looked down, a few more tears sliding down her face.

Fiyero lifted two fingers and placed them under her chine, tilting her head upwards to they were eye to eye again. He gave her a small smile. "The darkest hour of night is the hour before dawn. Something will work out. You won't be able to stay away for long."

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The night air was cool as it whipped around Elphaba's skin as she flew past. Fiyero was right. She couldn't stay away. But that didn't mean she would endanger Glinda's life for her own selfish desires. If a dream was all she could be, then a dream was what she would live as. Gradually the night lights of civilisation came into view as she flew toward her heart's residence. She slowed as she reached her destination, coming to hover over the now very familiar balcony.

Suddenly, she froze.

Something was wrong.


	3. In Your Sleep

_I said at the beginning that this was a threeshot, but I've decided to add an epilogue after this chapter._

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A flickering light, like that of a candle, shone through the balcony door of Glinda's room. It wasn't right; it was too late for anyone to be awake. Elphaba glided a little closer, listening with growing alarm at the soft voices carrying out from the dimly lit room.

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Glinda looked away, trying to hide the worry that she felt.

"Think about it, Glinda, not just about yourself, but about Oz. What would happen to your people if they found out that their leader was an accomplice to a traitor?"

Glinda stayed silent. She didn't know how this man had found out that she had helped Elphaba escape from the Emerald City, but he had.

"I put you as a kind person, and a caring leader. One who would help her people if she got the chance."

Glinda took a deep breath. Upon the rumour spreading around that she and Elphaba had been friends, he was right. The information would do a lot of harm, and not only to herself.

"I'm not asking for much, Glinda."

That got her attention.

"What do you want then?"

The Emerald City guard smiled a cruel smile. "You are powerful, Glinda. The Ozians follow you, love you. And I want that."

A frown crossed the blonde witch's face. "What do you mean? I can't just do that. These things take time. You have to _gain_ the people's trust, not just be given it."

The smile widened. "Why would I have to win them over when you're right here?"

Glinda expression became one of shock. "I'm not going to spend the rest of my life as your mouthpiece!"

"Is that what you thought I meant?" Something in his tone made Glinda shiver."I don't think you understand just what this is, my dear Glinda. Your people trust you, which means that they will the man you have chosen."

Glinda stood up so fast she almost knocked her chair over. "You want me to marry you?"

The guard chuckled. "Yes, it's really quite that easy. You avoid telling people the truth, and I as your companion I get the, uh, _expected amount of influence_ over your actions." A smirk crossed his lips. "And maybe a few, other things as well," he said, reaching a hand towards her.

Glinda let a cry of disgust, jumping away from the man. "If you think I'll agree to that you're wasting your time."

The guard simply chuckled again. "You don't have a choice in this matter and you know it. You know what it would do to Oz if they found out what really happened in the Emerald City. Their Wizard already gone, and his replacement no better than her wicked friend? You would do the best for your people, wouldn't you? You wouldn't let that happen would you?"

"And so instead I should let them be governed by a greedy, perverted, selfish man like you? You're right, I do know what is best, and it isn't you."

Glinda glared at the man standing before her, who just shook his head. "Do you really think so little of me? Yes I am ambitious, yes I sometimes take advantage of a situation given the opportunity, but it doesn't mean I am a bad leader. Or-" he put up a hand to silence Glinda as she opened her mouth again, "Or at least I would be better than no one at all." The guard sighed as the expression on Glinda's and turned to walk toward the door. "I'll let you sleep on it, Glinda. I'm sure you'll come to the right decision."

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Outside the room, above the balcony, Elphaba buried her face into the sleeve of the arm that wasn't holding her broom handle. Even after her 'death' she was still a danger to the one she cared about most. How did this man find out that Glinda helped her escape? He couldn't have actually seen or heard the, otherwise he most likely would have tried to stop them. So how did he know? He could have been one of the guards that had been chasing her, but even they didn't know whether Glinda had been trying to help her or stop her.

Suddenly Elphaba snapped her head up, pulling her broom around to land on the balcony. Unless he didn't know.

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Glinda tossed and turned in her bed, unable to stop the whirring of her mind. The man, whatever his name was, was exactly right. Between letting the Ozians know the truth and marrying him, there was no choice. But there must be a third option! She couldn't let someone like more or less take her position among the Ozians, but she couldn't destroy their faith and trust in, well, everything, either.

Finally, she realised that she probably was probably going to get better thinking done after a night's rest and turned on her back, staring at the ceiling and willing herself to calm down.

Slowly, her breathing and heart rate returned to normal and let her eyes slip closed, hoping that she would manage to get some rest.

She hoped in vain.

Even now she still couldn't stop thinking. She tried to clear her mind, but it kept jumping back to agonising over the hopelessness of the situation. She stayed like that, just lying there with her mind moving faster that a monkey could fly, futilely trying to get to sleep.

Then she felt the bed dip.

Before she could open her eyes, she felt another body under the blankets, pressing against hers, and a pair of arms reaching to wrap around her.

Glinda sighed in relief, suddenly feeling all the tension in her body drain away. She didn't even bother questioning why this was different to the other dreams, but after what happened in the day, she would welcome any comfort.

"Oh Glinda." The soft voice sent a breath of warm air over her collar bone.

"Elphie, what can I do?" Glinda felt the body shift and opened her eyes to see the green girl moving over her. She parted her lips to speak again but was cut off by another pair against them. Glinda sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the girl above her.

Glinda pulled back as she felt her eyes begin to tear. "He knows, Elphaba. That guard knows we were friends, he knows I helped you escape the wizard, and he's using it against me." She tightened her grip on the dark haired girl.

Elphaba raised her head. "How does he know?"

"I don't know. But he does."

"No, Glinda." To her surprise, Elphaba pulled away, sitting up. "How does her know, how could he know?"

Glinda frowned, "I told you, I don't know. Maybe he was chasing us, and heard us, or something."

Elphaba shook her head. "No, if anyone had heard us they would have found us a lot sooner. He couldn't have actually been there." Glinda still looked confused. "Think about it, Glinda, he couldn't have been there, which means that he must have just seen what everybody saw, which means that he couldn't have known whether you were helping me or trying to stop me."

Glinda's frown deepened. "But then, why did he say-"

"He was taking a chance. He knew we were friends, he realised that there is a possibility you were helping me. He confronted you about his 'information' as a test."

The frown was now replaced by eyebrows raised in surprise. "Think, Glinda, did you ever actually say that you helped me escape? Did you ever actually confirm that?"

"I," Glinda paused, thinking back through the conversation. "Well no, not directly, but it was obvious the way I acted."

"Was it? Really? If you had once made a mistake, befriending the wrong person, and then turned against them as soon as you discovered their true nature, and then someone confronted you with the possibility of starting a false but very possible and very damaging rumour, would you not be just as worried?"

Glinda stared. "Oh my Oz!" She sat up, almost knocking Elphaba off the bed, before stopping suddenly. Her face fell. "But even if that's true, what good does it do? I can't destroy the Ozians' faith in their leaders like that."

Glinda had a point. "Well then," Elphaba began slowly, after thinking for several minutes, "you'll have to spread the 'true story' first."

"'True story'?" Glinda replied, still feeling rather confused. "And what would that be?"

Elphaba hesitated. "Before this man has a chance to start the rumour, spread a story about how you made an error in judgement about me and much you tried to stop me when I escaped from the Wizard." She smiled slightly. "Then it'll be your word against his, and the Ozians really would rather believe you, it's just harder when the rumour started first and anything you say sounds too suspiciously like a false denial."

A smile broke out on Glinda's face. "Elphaba," she whispered, "you've got it." She jumped up, taking Elphaba with her and hugged the green girl tightly, pulling her into a deep kiss.

"No," Elphaba replied, with a hint of sadness. "_You've_ got it. They say that your mind works best in your sleep."

Glinda froze. Slowly, she pulled away, her eyes narrowed. "Elphaba..."


	4. Epilogue

"Glinda I-" Elphaba broke off as the girl in question silenced her with a kiss.

"Don't, Elphaba," Glinda whispered, pulling ever so slightly away so that she breathed her words into Elphaba's slightly parted lips. She kissed her again. "Don't explain. I'm not going ask. It doesn't matter."

"But, but Glinda-"

"No." Glinda wrapped her arms around the stuttering girl. "I said it doesn't matter." She sighed, pressing her face into the green skin of Elphaba's neck. "All that matters is that you're here." She slowly backed the two of them toward her bed. "And I love you."

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The gentle light of the dawn brought by the small sliver of sun peeking over the horizon found the two lovers together in the comfort of their shared embrace, their limbs entwined and their hearts beating as one. They simply lay there, watching the rise of the golden orb over the green hills and knolls, listening to the sounds of the early morning animals, they simply lay there together.

It was Elphaba who broke the spell.

"I have to go."

Glinda turned.

"Yes you do."

The sun was well above the horizon before either of them moved.

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Elphaba leaned forward, kissing Glinda one last time before turning to pick up her broomstick. She moved to mount but was stopped as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and a face nuzzled into the back of her neck.

"Glinda," she sighed, trying to pull away, "you know it's too risky for me to stay past sunrise.

The pair of arms tightened. "That didn't stop you before."

"And someone almost saw me and, Glinda!" she turned abruptly and kissed the witch hard once before pulling away. "I'll be back tonight," she said with a sad smile. "But I have to go now before everyone starts waking up."

Glinda sighed. Maybe a day would come when they could tell the truth and have the people believe them, when Elphaba would no longer be a falsely convicted criminal, when she would no longer have to hide her existence, when they could share their love freely under everyone's eyes.

Maybe. But for now,

She kissed her lover one last time before letting her mount her broom, watching as the billowing shape flew further and further away, toward the few faint glimmers that anticipated the arrival of the sun.

For now they had this.

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_The End_


End file.
